HE’S the politician
who’s re- writing history. And the very future of
Scotland will lie in the hands its charismatic
leader, Alex Salmond. Now the country’s First
Minister wants South Ayrshire to play a key part in
his bold new Scotland. Mr Salmond insists he will
make the most of the region’s untapped potential
during the coming years. And, during an interview
with the Post, he revealed his hopes and dreams for
some of the area’s key facilities. Scotland’s leader
sat down with Stuart Wilson to outline his vision –
and every base was covered.

Mr Salmond spoke
candidly of his views on the Gaiety Theatre,
revealed his dream to provide a bypass for Maybole –
and confessed his wish to rename Prestwick Airport,
Robert Burns International. The First Minister also
outlined his commitment to keeping accident and
emergency services at Ayr, while studying plans for
further investment at Crosshouse. Rarely has
Scotland’s main man spoken so openly about his plans
for South Ayrshire. Until now.

GOVERNMENTS have come and gone
– and still the problem exists. The lack of a bypass in
Maybole remains high on the agenda for the people of South
Ayrshire. And Scotland’s First Minister insists he wants to
do something about it. Mr Salmond said: “We are very aware
of the position in Maybole. “It is a road which I personally
travel on a lot and the route is of key strategic importance
for the new ferry terminal at Cairnryan. “But we’ve suffered
from a 40 per cent cut in our capital budget and that makes
things more difficult than we’d like when it comes to
investment on matters such as this. “However, make no
mistake, we are acutely aware of the ongoing issues in
Maybole and realise that it is crying out for a bypass. “It
remains an issue which we are very keen to address and will
look at all possible ways of doing so.”

SOUTH Ayrshire is Scotland’s
tourism mecca. So says Mr Salmond, who insists the region
attracts global interest wherever he goes. The First
Minister revealed: “I honestly think this area has so much
untapped potential. “You look around and this is a
stunningly beautiful part of Scotland. “A large degree of
the tourist trade is built around Robert Burns, but there is
so much more on offer in this part of the world. “It’s
somewhere that draws visitors from around the world – and
that’s not an easy thing to do. “My dream is to have
hundreds of thousands of tourists flying into South Ayrshire
from all four corners of the earth. “They will arrive at
Prestwick Airport, which will be have been renamed to Robert
Burns International. “They can then travel on a Maybole
bypass and enjoy everything this rich area has to offer.
“It’s also an area of great success when you think about the
aerospace culture and everything being produced in this part
of the world. “I really look to South Ayrshire as something
of a tourism mecca of Scotland and it we must make the most
of its many wonderful attractions.”